ODIKE NAMES RUNNING MATE AS UPP LAUNCHES MANIFESTO, CAMPAIGN

The United Progressive Party, UPP, has officially launched its Manifesto and Campaign ahead of the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. 

Performing the launch in Kumasi, the Founder, Leader and Presidential Candidate of the party, Akwasi Addai Odike, also named a 53-year old man, Yaw Brogya Mensah, as his Running Mate. 

UPP also outdoored its Campaign Team with the National Vice Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Bashiru Bakari as the Chairman.

The Campaign Team has a membership that includes all of the party’s 10 Regional Chairmen with the mandate to strategize to propagate the message of the party and sell its Presidential Candidate to enable them to win the upcoming national elections.

 The 2016 National Campaign of the UPP is on the theme: “Ghana Awake and Live”. The same occasion was used to launch the party’s Manifesto. 

The 74-paged Manifesto is christened: “Era of Private Sector Development for Jobs and Wealth Creation”. 

The party rather wants to refer to its Manifesto as the “10 year Development Plan” because it intends to legalize the document with a Legislative Instrument if it wins the elections to make it a binding social contract between the government and the electorate.

 Giving Highlights of the 2016 Manifesto of the UPP, Mr. Addai Odike indicated that his party plans to increase Ghana’s cocoa production level from the current over 600 thousand to 10 million metric tonnes to generate about 26 billion Dollars for the national economy.  

 As a strategy towards attainment of the target, the government of the UPP will introduce a policy known as “Urban Cocoa Branding Scheme”. 

Under this Scheme, the COCOBOD, CSIR, schools and other relevant entities will spearhead the cultivation of cocoa on all unused lands in the cities and school lands and replace ornamental plants or Avenue Trees in the urban centres with cocoa. 

Mr. Addai Odike disclosed also that his government will create what he calls a Shoes’ Village in Kumasi where additional value will be given to the locally made footwear for export to also serve as jobs creation avenue. 

He noted that the Private sector-led national economy will create what he called ‘a fair state’ by which the central government will only provide certain essential social interventions while the private sector will drive the economy. 

Mr. Addai Odike said his government will privatize the provision of electricity and water to engender competition and better service delivery in those services.
 

On formal education, the UPP Flagbearer disclosed that Science Resource Centres and Workshops will be built in all the district capitals and will be adequately stocked with the appropriate facilities with standby vehicles to convey students from the beneficiary senior high schools to undertake practical science, vocational and technical skills.

 The National Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bashiru Bakari, refuted claims that the UPP is fronting for a certain political party and asked the electorate to disregard such rumours. 

The Vice Presidential Candidate Yaw Brogya Mensah pledged his readiness to support Mr. Addai Odike to win this year’s election. 

At the same function, the UPP introduced some of its Parliamentary candidates from various Constituencies in some of the regions. Also at the event were some religious and traditional leaders to show solidarity.